Cap selecting and feeding mechanism



Sept. 21 1926.

w, CAMERON CAP SELECTING AND FEEDINGMECHANISM 2 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed May7. 1924 liwercz o r' M56022,- came/mm Sept. 21, 1926. 1 1,600,715

. :W. CAMERON C AP SELECTING AND FEEDING MECHANISM Filed May 7, 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented s er, ,21,'192s'.

IVUNITED STATES PA'T-ENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM uration, or cincae npmors, Assmnon '10 c'mnaon can macnmnmrcommm, or CHICAGO, rumors, nconrona'rron or rumors. 4

CAP SELECTING AND FEEDING MECHANISM.

Application filed Bay 7, 1924. Serial No. 711,535.

.r 'This invention ertains to mechanism for selecting andfee ing caps orother similar articles and while the principles thereof are capable ofembodiment in machines designed for various purposes, the partlcularform of the invention shown therein is adapted to be used in conjunctionwith a cap thread rolling machine such as is disclosed in my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 653,059, filed July 23, 1923.

The caps which; my present invention is designed to handleare'cylindrical in shape, closed at'o e end and provided'atothe othervradially projecting peripheralend with flan e, and aremade of sheetmetalor other re erred material preferably by a stampin operation. v

ese caps in variousfstages of comple- "tion are fed ,to machines whichperform some operation upon the caps. In order that the caps may be'properly presentedto the machine which operates upon them it is a in themagazine until they assume the rei t, and deliver the ,with greatrapidity. The machine, therefore, is capable of delivering properlyposiquired osltion.

Anot er purpose of' In invention'is. to

provide amechanismwhic ,while operatingslowly so as to require butlittle power and be'subject to very slight wear, will select properlypositioned caps tioned ca s in large uantities.

A furt er objecto the invention is to rovide a machine which can beaccommoated to handle ca s of-various sizes and dimensions by simp yremovingthe selects mg c linder and replacin :itIby another cy in erequiiip'ped with stu s of a different length or di erently spaced apart.

'To facilitate an understanding of my invention a preferred embodimentthereof is shown on the accompanying drawings, referring to which: I} fr 1 ig. 1 is an end elevation ofa selecting and feeding mechanismembodying my invention, I

vprovide the mar inal flangle a -Fig. 2 is a similar fr entary view-withthe outer wall of the eed chute removed, Flg. 3 is a side elevation ofthe construe-4 tion shown in Fig. 1, and i Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentarysectional views taken on the lines 4-4 and 5-5, re-

spec'tively, of Fig. 1'..

''Referring now to the drawings more in detail, reference character 6indicates generally a magazine or hopper into the open upper end. ofwhich the caps are dumped.

This magazine may be supported in any I suitable manner as, forinstance, upon an upright post 7. Through the hopper a shaft 8 extends,which is rotatably journaled in a bearing 9 formed integrally with thehopper and is held therein against longitudinal displacement by collars11 and 12. The lower portion of the hopper is provlded with a laterallydischarge opening disposedconcentrically with the. shaft 8 and a bearingring 13 projecting laterally from the margin of this opening affords abearin for the inner end of a tapered cylinder, shel or barrel 14, aswill be apparent from Fig.

'3. This cylinder increases in diameter towards its outer end to providea shell of substantially truncated cone shape and is sharply flared atits extreme outer end-to 15. Upon its ed to provide periphery the cyinder is s a. belt pulley 16 by which t e cylinder is rotated in thedirection indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 through the intermediary ofabelt17. U r

The outer end of the cylinder is closedby a circular substantially flatplate 18 provided with a hub 19 adapted to be slipped onto the end ofthe shaft 8 and securely locked thereto by a set screw 21 or otherpreferred means, This end plate is also secured to' the marginal flange15 of the c linder by a series ofbolts 22 (Fi 1 and 5) and is maintainedin s aced ref:-

:tion with respect to theflange 15 y spacing members 23 carriedvby thebolts 22, as will be a parent from F1g.'5. These s acing' mem ers arecircular in shape an theirouter ends are cutaway to provide recesses 24adapted to accommodate the flanges 25 of the'ca s 26 when the caps areproperly ositione in the groove, or as I may term 1t, radial slot 27formed between, the flange the 15 and the end plate 18.

'The flange 15 is provided between spacing members 23 with studs 28arranged in spaced relation circumferentially of the flange" andprojecting toward the plate 18. The spacing of these studs is such thatthe bodies of the caps 26 will pass between them.

The flanges of the caps being of greater diameter than the space betweenadjacent studs, the cap will not be permitted to drop from the magazineunless the cap be positioned in the slot, as shown in Fig. 4, with theflange 25 opposed to the plate 18'so that it will clear the ends of thestuds 28.

Adelivery chute consisting of an arcuate portion 29 and a straightportion 31 is ar ranged to receive the caps from the cylinder. Thearcuate portion comprises a grooved plate 32 and a side wall 33 securedto the plate by bolts 34 or other means. The

the bottom of the groove beingshaped simi larlyto the'bottom of thegroove in the portion 31 of the chute and from Fig. 4 it will beobserved that this portion of the chute comprises a plate 35 having astep shaped groove 36, the outer face of which is closed 1 by the plate37. The straight portion. 31

of the chute extends to a machineto which the caps are delivered or isadapted to deliver the same into a basket or other receptacle asdesiredi In the operation of my improved mechanism the caps to beselected and fed are dumped into the open top of the hopper 6 fromwhich'they fall into the revolving cylinder 14.

The width of the groove 27 is slightly greater than the axial length ofthe caps so that the caps will I readily fall by gravity into thisgroove. Such caps as are positioned in the groovewith their flangestoward the end plate 18 will be permitted to pass through between.adjacent studs into the delivery .chute while those caps which arereversed endwise, that is, are positioned with e 15, will be retained bythe studs in the'cyhnder and prevented from entering the chute. It willbe apparent, therefore, thatfonly those selected caps which arepositioned with .the open ends in the desired direction are permitted toenter the chute and these selected caps are delivered all faced in the.Same direction from the lower end of the chute.

For the ,purpose of dislodging' any caps which might become caughtorbound between adjacent studs 28 I have providedat the top of themagazine a starwheel 38 mounted on an arm 39 projecting laterally fromthe hopper, this wheel being positioned so that its prongs can enterbetween the 1 studs of the selecting cylinder as the'cylinder isrevolved'and be thereby rotated. Any

: cap, therefore, which'may become lodged between the studs-is pushedinwardly and freed from the studs so that it will drop back into v plate32 is grooved to accommodate the caps '26,

the revolving cylinder and eventually be discharged into the chute.

It is believed that the construction, operation, and many of theattendant advantages of this invention will be ap arent from theexceeding the scope of the invention, as defined in the followingclaims,

I claim 1. A selecting and feeding mechanism for caps and the like,comprising a rotatable cylinder flared at one end, anend plate v securedthereto and spaced therefrom to provide a peripherally opening deliveryslot of a depth greater than the radius length of said caps and thelike, and selector studs projecting into said slot, the said slotconstituting a guiding means for feeding only properly disposed caps tothe said selector studs tothereby prevent an accumulation of improperlypositioned caps upon the selector studs. t H

2.- In -a selecting and feeding mechanism, the combination of astationary hopper having a circular discharge mouth in a sub-'stantially vertical plane, a horizontally disposed shaft, a taperedcylindrical shell communicating at its-smaller end with said hopper andmounted on said shaft to rotate concentrically with said hopper mouth,means at the larger end of said shell for selecting and permitting thedelivery of selected articles, a delivery chute positioned to receivesaid articles, and means for rotating said shell. I v

3. A selecting and feeding mechanism comprising a rotatable cylindricalshell outwardly flanged at one end, a hopper having a dischargemouth incontinuous communication with the opposite end of said shell, a memberarranged in conjunction with the said flange to provide a slottherebetween, n i

and selecting devices in said slot.

4. A selecting and feeding mechanism comprising a rotatable cylindricalshell outwardly flanged at one end, a hopper having 5 a discharge mouthforming a continuous passageway with the opposite'end of saldg shell, amember spaced from said flange to provide a slot therebetween, selectingdevices in said slot and toward the bottom thereof and a wheel havingprojections cooperatively arranged with said shell for rotation uponrotation of said shell for 'dislodgingimproperly placed articles in'saidselecting means.

5. A selecting and feeding mechanism comprising a rotatable cylindricalshell having an outwardly projecting peripheral flange at one endthereof, a hopper having a discharge mouth forming a continuouspassageway with the opposite end .of said shell a member cooperatingwith said peripheral flange to provide to slot therebetween, selectingdevices arranged in said slot and spaced from one side thereof wherebyproperly disposed articles will be passed by said selecting devices andimproperly disposed articles will be returned by said selecting devices,and means projecting into said .slot and operable upon rotation of saidshell for dislodging articles stuck in said slot.

6. In a cap selecting and feeding mechanism, a rotatable shell oftruncated cone shape with the axis thereof horizontally disposed, ahopper adjacent and adapted to feed articles into the small end of saidshell, the large end of said shell having an-outwardly flanged pel 'ihery, a member opposed to the large end. 0 said shell to provide .a'slot of a depth'to receive a capandbf a width greater than the length ofa cap cir- .of said cylinder.-

cumferentially of the shell, and means within said slot forjpermittingthe discharge of properl positioned caps and for preventing thedischarge of improperly positioned caps.

7. In a device of the character described, a hopper having asubstantiallyv cylindrical discharge opening, a rotatable cylindricalshell having one end adjacent to and concentrically ,arranged with thedischarge opening of and'inlconstant communication with said hopper,whereby articles discharged from said hopper will be continuouslyreceived insaid shell, selecting devices. in connection with said shell,and means' for. rotating said shell;

8. In a selectin and feeding mechanism, the combination 0 a hopper, atapered cylindrical member communicating at its smaller end with saidhopper and provided. at its larger end with a radiall'disposedcircumferential flange, an end p ate opposed to but spaced fromsaid flange to provide a periph- 'eral slot of substantial radial depth,studs projecting from said flange within .s id slot and a predetermineddistancetoward said plate, and a grooved delivery chlite mounted inco-operative relation 9. In a selecting and feeding mechanism,

the combination of a hopper provided with a a lateral opening, a shaftextending concen- 'trically through said opening, a tapered cylind'ricalmember rotata ly mounted with its smaller end'in constant communicationwith the hopper, an end' plate secured on said shaft and opposed to butspaced :from the a larger end of said-cylindrical member, studsgojectinginto the space between said memr and said end plate and spacedfrom said" end plate, a delivery chute positioned to receive articlespassing b etween'said studs, and means for dislodging articles lodgedbetween said studs.

10. In a selecting and feeding mechanism,

'the combination of a.rotatab le cylindrical member provided at one endwith a ci rcumslot eonstitutinggui ing caps to the selectingmeans onlywhen the caps are in their properly alined posito the flanged end I'-ferential radially disposed flange, means.

for delivering ca s or the-like into the'opposite end of sai member, aplate opposed.

to the flanged end of the member and forming in conjunction with saidflange a slot adapted to receive and guide caps from the cylindricalmember, and selecting meansdischarge from the mechanism ofimproperly'positioned caps while permitting the discharge of properlpositioned caps, said g means for delivertions, to thereby prevent anaccumulation of caps in various improper positions from resting andaccumulating on \said selecting means.

11. In 'a' selecting and feeding mechanism, the combination of acylinder open at one end for the reception of caps to be selected andprovided at its other end with a radially disposed discharge slotadapted to g'o receive and guide caps mm the cylinder, and means in saidslot spaced radially outwardly from the receiving end thereof for Iselecting caps disposed in the slot, said slot constituting a. gu dingmeans for delivering only properly alined caps to said selecting means,to thereby prevent an accumulation of caps in various lmproper positionsfrom resting upon the said selecting means.

12. In a selecting and feeding mechanism, the combination of a cylinder0 .en at one end for the reception of caps to e selected and provided atits other end with a .radially disposed discharge slot adapted to'receive-and guide caps from the cylinder, and pins projecting into saidslot from one wall thereof and remote from :the receiving mouth of theslot for selecting caps disposed in the slot, said slot constituting aguldmg means for feeding means only in their properly alined position,to thereby prevent an accumulation of improperly positioned caps uponthe said remotely positioned 'selectmg pms.

13. In a selecting and feeding mechanism, the combination of a rotatablecylinder open at one end for the "reception of caps and provided at itsother end with a. radially circumferential delive slot ich said caps aredelivere studs space apart circumferentially of. the cylinder andextending into said slot so as to .prevent the delivery of im roperlypositioned caps and permit the de ivery of properly positioned caps,"andmeans comprising fingers adaptedito' roject inwar dl between thesuccesslve stu s as the cyhn or is rotated for dislodging caps retainedby the attending?h studs, said: slot constitutin'g a guiding means" fordeliverin only roperlyflalined caps to l i the said selecting studs tqthereby prevent caps, to the selecting.

an accumulation of improperly positioned caps upon the selector studs.

14:. In a selecting and feeding mechanism, the combination of ahollowrotatable member open at one end for the reception of caps and providedat its other end with a radially extending discharge slot, selectingstuds arranged in spaced relation in said slot,

and a rotatable dislodging device compris l0 ing a plurality of fingersadapted to project into said slot between successive studs as thecylinder is rotated, whereby caps retained by th estuds are dislodged,said slot constituting a guiding means for delivering only properlyalined caps to the said selecting studs to thereby prevent anaccumulation of improperly positioned caps upon the selector studs.

WILLIAM CAMERON.

